Defensive stops few and far between for UT

Bedford believes it's time to 'turn it loose' against explosive Cal

Updated 11:27 pm, Friday, September 18, 2015

To walk off the field a winner against California tonight, Texas coach Charlie Strong knows his defense must step it up a few notches.

To walk off the field a winner against California tonight, Texas coach Charlie Strong knows his defense must step it up a few notches.

Photo: Amy Zhang, MBR

Defensive stops few and far between for UT

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AUSTIN - One by one over the past two weeks, each of Texas' scapegoats was supplanted.

The Longhorns replaced their offensive play-caller, their quarterback and even their athletic director.

Now, with their weaknesses addressed, it's time for them to work on their supposed strength.

Through two games this season, the defense - usually the backbone of any team coached by Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford - hasn't provided anything resembling support. And as California brings one of the nation's most productive offenses into Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, the Longhorns realize they had better get better at making stops before it's too late.

"No excuse about it," said Bedford, UT's defensive coordinator. "We're just not getting the job done."

Entering September, many figured Bedford's unit wouldn't be as good as last year, when it ranked among the nation's top 25 in defensive efficiency but lost six players to NFL rosters and practice squads.

Even so, the defense wasn't expected to slip as badly as it did in an opening 38-3 loss to Notre Dame and a tougher-than-expected 42-28 win over Rice. Through two weeks, UT ranks 115th out of 128 Division I FBS teams in yards allowed per game (494.5), 90th in yards allowed per play (5.78) and last in third-down conversions allowed (62.86 percent).

Those numbers don't bode well for the Longhorns' chances against the Golden Bears (2-0), who rank seventh in the country in points per game (54) and are led by a quarterback in Jared Goff who has passed for 8,111 yards and 59 touchdowns in his career.

"Not many people slow them down," Bedford said. "It's not a lot of fun to be facing this guy."

Sacks slipping away

California at Texas

About the game

When/where: 6:30 p.m. today; Royal-Memorial Stadium, Austin.

Records: California 2-0, Texas 1-1.

TV/radio: Fox; 97.5 FM.

Series: UT leads 5-0.

Notable: The game's key matchup pits Cal RB Daniel Lasco vs. Texas DTs Desmond Jackson and Poona Ford. Although record-breaking quarterback Jared Goff is Cal's star, the Longhorns' first order of business is making the Bears one-dimensional. That means stuffing the ground game, something UT failed to do against Notre Dame and Rice.

But UT (1-1) thinks it hasn't lived up to its defensive potential. Part of the struggle can be attributed to youth - Malik Jefferson and John Bonney are freshmen starters, and several others have been on the field for long stretches - but there's more to it than that.

Veteran defensive backs Dylan Haines and Duke Thomas have been involved in coverage mix-ups. Seasoned defensive ends Shiro Davis and Naashon Hughes have let a few plays slip away. And the plethora of tackles - a loaded group Strong hailed as UT's best unit in the preseason - hasn't lived up to that billing.

"It's frustration," Strong said. "We can play better than we played on defense."

Strong is quick to point out the results might look much different if the Longhorns would have wrapped up opposing quarterbacks every time they've had opportunities. He and Bedford estimate UT has left at least 10 sacks unclaimed because defenders let Notre Dame's Malik Zaire or Rice's Driphus Jackson slip away.

Then there are difficulties getting off the field. Among Rice's staggering 14 third-down conversions last week, seven came on third-and-5 or longer. This week, the Longhorns were forced to watch a video compilation of those plays.

"Not necessarily a highlight film," Haines said. "More of a lowlight film. We took a good, long look at that."

But UT coaches don't want their defenders second-guessing themselves. On the contrary, Bedford said, the Longhorns need to avoid looking tentative, as he described their mentality against Rice.

"We can't play that way," Bedford said. "We need to let it go and see what happens. It's like riding in a roller coaster. Throw your hands up in the air and wave them around like you just don't care. That's what we have to do. So let's go turn it loose."